Cousins by Blood, Siblings by Bond: The Story Behind My Family

Hello everyone, Pougle Hall here, back with a new Pickax article! Today, I want to talk about something really close to my heart: the special sibling-like bond I share with my cousins.

To give you the full picture, let’s start with the family layout. On my mom’s side of the family, I’m the absolute oldest at 24 years old (turning 25 on January 5th!). Between my mom's siblings, there are quite a few of us cousins:

My Aunt’s Kids: She has five children ranging from 17 down to 13 years old.

My Uncle’s Kids: He has two children, ages 11 and 6.

While I love all my family, I am without a doubt much closer to my aunt’s kids. The main reason? We literally grew up together. Whether I was hanging out at my aunt's house or visiting my grandma’s while she was babysitting, we were constantly in each other's lives.

The Core Bond: Marybeth and Trent

Out of all five, I have a particularly deep connection with the two oldest: 17-year-old Marybeth and 15-year-old Trent. The bond I have with these two goes way beyond typical cousin territory—they are like real siblings to me. I would go to the ends of the earth to support them, offer advice, or lend a hand whenever they need it.

That bond isn't a one-way street, either. On my 24th birthday, both Marybeth and Trent wrote me heart-wrenching letters expressing what I mean to them. Reading their words brought tears to my eyes.You can read the letters for yourself in the photos below to see just how deep that bond really goes.

Where It All Changed

While we’ve always been close, our sibling bond truly cemented itself in 2024. That was the year we lost our great-grandmother to cancer. It was the first time Marybeth and Trent had ever experienced a loss like that, and I could tell they were struggling to cope and felt completely thrown off.

Knowing how heavy that grief was, I made it my top priority to step up. Every time I showed up, I made sure they knew I was solid, grounded, and ready to listen whenever they needed someone to lean on. Navigating that tough season together brought us tighter than ever before.

At the end of the day, blood made us cousins, but love, loyalty, and showing up for each other made us siblings. I truly thank God every single day for placing Marybeth and Trent in my life and giving me the brother and sister I always needed.

What about you guys? Do you have cousins or friends who feel more like brothers and sisters to you? Let me know in the comments below!